The clock is ticking on the St. Louis Cardinals to come to terms on a contract extension with the best player the Cardinals have had since Stan “The Man” Musial retired in 1963.
Albert Pujols has set a firm deadline to agree to an extension by the start of spring training.
Should Pujols not receive an extension by that time, he will become a free agent after the 2011 season.
With big spenders New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox locked into long contracts with current first basemen of Mark Teixeira and Adrian Gonzalez respectively, one has to wonder where the three-time National League MVP might end up.
Pujols could demand a deal close to the deal Alex Rodriguez signed for 10 years and $275 million.
So what teams could sign the free agent next off season?